Great Crag
The Great Crag is the capital of Droaam, and the seat of power of the Daughters of Sora Kell. It is a fast growing yet primitive city, though many hands work tirelessly day and night to ensure that one day it will be counted as a one of the greatest settlements of Khorvaire. The order in the city is maintained by Sora Maenya's elite troll guards, assisted by gnoll mercenaries. Location The Great Crag, as its name implies, is built inside of a vast mountain peak standing at the very center of Droaam. Ancient passages dating from the time of the Dhakaani Empire honeycomb the mountain, and Dhakaani ruins dot the fertile plains which surround it. The hags' court can be found mostly inside of the mountain proper; however the Crag's population outstrips its size, and so many of its citizens have either moved into the ruins that surround it or have built barracks, houses and hovels amid them. One trade route brings goods from Breland and Greywall into the city by road. History It is believed that before the Daelkyr War, a great Dhakaani metropolis occupied the plains surrounding the Great Crag, the ruins of which remain to this day. In that time, the mountain did not have its current form, and might not have been a mountain yet at all; according to legend, it was torn out of the ground during the war, when the Daelkyr turned the hobgoblins and goblins of the city to stone. The sight of the stone statues kept intelligent creatures away from the Great Crag for millennia, as rumors whispered that the vengeful spirits of the petrified still lurked within their stone bodies, eager to strike out at warm bodies and petrify them as well. The Daughters of Sora Kell proved these rumors false when they appeared in 986YK and made the mountain the base for their new capital of Droaam. Since then the city has grown exponentially as monsters flock to the hags' banner, its total population now numbering among those of the other great metropolises. Architecture The city is an intriguing mix of perfectly restored Dhakaani architecture, sophisticated medusa stonework and rougher contributions by the various other monstrous races. Harpy roosts dot the mountainside, ogre laborers erect sturdy but rough structures and Znir Pact barracks stand side-by-side with the hovels housing thousands of goblin squatters. Much of the citizens do not live in permanent structures at all, instead using tents until more homes can be built for them. The Great Crag is thus a perfect analogy for Droaam as a whole: a mix of various different monstrous influences that somehow still work together. Important Locations * Court of the Hags: The inside of the Great Crag is used mostly by the Daughters of Sora Kell, warlords staying at or visiting the court, foreign ambassadors, guards and the servants who serve all of them. Most of Droaam's citizens can see in the dark, there are therefore no sources of light inside of the tunnel. Foreign dignitaries are dependent completely upon torches and guides to find their way, no doubt a tactic by the hags to put them ill at ease and so gain an advantage during negotiations. The chambers of the top warlords and the hags offer some comforts, but the rest of the rooms and tunnels are quite bare. * The Arena: The arena is the greatest source for spectacle and entertainment within the Great Crag. It is absolutely massive in order to best accommodate the Crag's large (in more ways than one) population, and races, gladiatorial combat, and blood sports of all kinds are performed here at almost all hours of the day and night. The arena also serves as an execution ground, as well as a training facility for Droaam's guards and mercenary forces. * The Ossuary: The statues of the city's original inhabitants have not been smashed, but have all been gathered in one ancient Dhakaani building: the ossuary. Here the remains of an entire city (and, somehow, a hydra too big to fit through the gates) slumber, souls trapped in their petrified body. Even after thousand of years it is still possible to return one of the statues to life (provided it is whole and unbroken), but long, long years of imprisonment have twisted their minds so that few are willing to try. * [[House Tharashk|'House Tharashk']]' enclave:' House Tharashk is the only foreign power to maintain an outpost within the town, though the one in Greywall is likely more important to their operations. * Various temples to the Shadow, the Mockery and other dark gods. Additional References Category:Droaam Category:Cities Category:Capital Cities